Iceland rejects reopening EU accession talks
Icelandic voters have rejected reopening accession talks with the European Union. The final nationwide count gave No 118,040 votes, or 52.8%, and Yes 105,339 votes, or 47.2%.
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Turnout was 82.5%, with 1,652 ballots blank or invalid. RÚV posted the final count at 9:28 a.m. local time after the last constituency reported.
The advisory referendum asked whether Iceland should resume the accession negotiations halted more than a decade ago. The official notice made clear that the ballot concerned reopening talks, not joining the EU. DailySweden reported the voting context when polls closed on Saturday.
The result leaves the government's proposed return to the negotiating table without voter backing. It does not by itself alter Iceland's existing ties to the EU through the EEA and Schengen, and no membership decision was on the ballot. Had Yes won and negotiations produced an agreement, Icelanders would still have faced a separate membership vote, AP reported.
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